The entrance to Red Deer's temporary Overdose Prevention Site. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Shaun Penner and Josh Hall

Supervised Consumption Services

Gov’t of Alberta sets standard requirements for supervised consumption operators

Jun 3, 2021 | 8:09 PM

New guidance from the Alberta government for supervised consumption site operators formalizes a uniform set of standards those operators must maintain to continue being licensed.

The guidance is set out in the new Recovery-Oriented Overdose Prevention Program Services Guide, which lays out requirements like ensuring safety and security of clients, employees and the surrounding community, staff qualifications and training, and having clearly defined referral pathways to detox, treatment and recovery services.

The framework also aims to place supervised consumption services where there is a need, which, for example, will see the site in Calgary’s downtown core be shut down in favour of two new sites elsewhere in the city.

Speaking with rdnewsNOW affiliate EverythingGP, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Jason Luan says the changes aim to continue reducing harm to drug users, but also to create better access to treatment and recovery supports, and reduce social disorder that impacts nearby properties.

“What we are trying to do here is provide a balanced approach, while recognizing people are at a different stage of their readiness and their journey for recovery,” said Luan. “Some need (supervised consumption services), while others can go directly to treatment services and other services available to them.”

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This follows consultations held in 2019 by a provincial Supervised Consumption committee.

Determined issues and improvement areas were then used to formulate the guidance, which is the first of its kind in Canada.

Luan says one main issue identified by the committee is that there’s been no singular set of standards for SCS to follow, which created inconsistencies in how Alberta’s consumption sites operated day-to-day.

“No longer will that be the plan moving forward,” said Luan.

Also among the new rules, which Luan calls another step in building the province’s recovery-oriented approach to addressing addictions issues, is the need to create a “Good Neighbour Agreement” with property owners within a 200 metre radius of the site.

“Prior to COVID, we were meeting monthly with the Downtown Business Association and RCMP to address concerns and collaborate on strategies to address those,” says Stacey Carmichael, Executive Director at Turning Point. “We work collaboratively with Safe Harbour to ensure the shared outside space is welcoming for all clients and community members. We don’t have any formal agreements in place but work hard to maintain relations.”

Among the other new requirements, Carmichael says Turning Point, which has operated a temporary Overdose Prevention Site (OPS) since Oct. 2018, has most of the bases covered.

Turning Point has contracted security and two site liaisons at the OPS, as well as security cameras inside and outside, data collection was recently amended with the agency providing weekly and monthly reports to Alberta Health, and best practices are in place for staff qualifications and clinical practices.

She adds while it’s been difficult to provide an abundance of washroom facilities due to the nature of operating out of an ATCO trailer, they are following Health Canada guidelines.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to provide service in Red Deer, but we are looking forward to a time when we can provide wraparound supports and immediate access to addictions and mental health support on site when we are not in a temporary location,” she says. “We would love to be able to provide the clients with more services including access to showers and laundry and a safe place for clients to be able to spend time inside or outside which will also decrease public loitering.”

She says they’re also grateful for the chance to demonstrate the work they’re already doing.

“We always seek ways to improve service and optimize client care for the vulnerable clients in our community and we look forward to continued work with the province to deliver state of the art services in the best way possible for our clients and community as a whole,” says Carmichael.

In May, OPS staff tended to 32 adverse reactions and 70 emergency interventions out of 2,783 visits. That number is down because of the pandemic and only operating with two clients allowed in the waiting room, booths and post-consumption room, respectively, at one time.

According to the province’s Substance Use Surveillance System, there were 11 deaths in Red Deer from non-pharmaceutical opioids (fentanyl and analogues, heroin etc.) in 2021’s first quarter.

Turning Point’s current agreement to operate the OPS runs through March 31, 2022.

Carmichael encourages citizens to learn more about the agency at turningpoint-ca.org.